Of nobles, mages and elfs
by Duen
Summary: The Couslands wants revenge for what Howe did. The wardens want to bring down Loghain to unite Ferelden. Both of Howe and Loghain work together to get what they want, and so must the people they have wronged.


Highever

It was suppose to be another day in the grand castle of Highever, homeseat of the noble family the Cousland, but it was not. Soldiers bearing the arms of Howe hunted and killed any who stood in their way of getting to the Cousland family. The eldest son Fergus was suppose to ride out with the entire Cousland army down south to Ostagar, but he fell ill and was unable to make the march, so his little sister Elissa rode in his stead, leaving her parents, her big brother and his family, and her younger brother of 2 years behind to hold the castle with a small guard.

Arl Rendon Howe and his son Thomas had arrived to deliver news that his forces were delayed cause of bad weather. They were suppose to ride along side the Cousland forces down south, if it were not for the delay.

Rendon brought his son with him to push for an arrangement with Bryce Cousland daughter Elissa. An arrangement that bode ill with Elissa since Thomas could not stop to shamelessly flirt with her. Her younger brother Aedan swear he saw a smile of relief when father told them that she were to ride in Fergus stead.

The rest of the day went with Howe trying to make a match between the youngest Cousland and his own daughter Delilah, but Bryce assured that would not be needed since they were to join family through Thomas and Elissa.

And when the night had come, so did Howes 'delayed' troops and started to kill all the guards, servants and anyone unlucky enough to be in the castle when the siege had begun.

Aedan was walking around the castle when the fighting broke out and made a run for it to find his family. Armed only with a knife and no armor made him move with caution. He was able to get to his familys quarters only to find the corpses of his big brother and his wife and son, along with 3 Howe soldiers who each had an arrow in their face, at the hands of his sobbing mother who knelt infront of her dead son and his family.

"Why!? Why would he do this!?" She sobbed with tears down her face. Aedan went over to comfort his mother by embracing her in his arms.

In his shaken voice he said "Mom, I know it is hard but we have to find father" He tried not to look at his dead family members, but could not avoid their empty dead stare on their faces that made him shake with fear and guilt of not had doing anything to prevent their fate.

Slowly his mother nodded "Ye-yes. Of course, my son" She said slowly while still holding him in hopes that he would not leave her too.

He sighed "I need some arms and armor if I am going to protect myself mother"

She searched her pockets and pulled out a key to their treassury. Aedan looked confused at her. "If you are going to fight those bastards then make sure the last sigil they see is the sigil of our house!"

She meant the familys proudest ancestrial items. The family sword, shield and armor, all of it made of silverite and all of it date back to the birth of their house.

Aedan nodded and picked up a sword and shield from one of the dead Howe soldier and moved on infront of his mother.

As they walked through the castle, they manage to aid outnumbered guardsmen and fleeing servants and adviced them to stand with them in hope of defeating the enemy. Of course Aedan and his mother knew that if Howe had his entire force on their doorstep then the battle was already lost, but they needed to give their men and women hope of something better.

They fought their way to the treasury, where Howe soldiers try to bust the vault door down with a war-hammer, held by a giant of a man. The enemy quickly spotted them and charged at them. Aedan stood ready with his shield up as his mother would take down their archers. Aedan had to cover his mother as he and his men held of the other swordsman. A servant armed only with a knife manage to sneak behind a soldier and stabbed him in the neck, but was smashed to the side by the giant with the war-hammer. The man raised his war-hammer over his head and brought it down quick upon Aedan, but he manage to roll out of the way. The giant knight swung it around him, hitting a couple of highever guards and one Howe, but did not cared since his sights were on the young Aedan.

His mother had taken out the archers and one foot-soldier, while the remaining two highever guards handle the last swordsmen.

Aedan swung his sword at the knight, only to have it paired by the war-hammers shaft and hit hard in the head with the pommel of it. His end was near as the hammer was raised above him, when the knight was distracted by arrows that were fired into his exposed left side, making him drop his weapon behind him and it gave Aedan time to slice the knigts legs, making him fall in pain and then stabbed through the throat.

Elanor rushed to her son's side while she orded the remaining guards to watch the door. She checked to see if his head had any major damage when he was strucked.

"Im fine mother. Be glad it was the pommel he hit me with and not the other end" He said as he pointed towards the mangle dead body of the servant that was an unfortunate victim of a full blown attack by the now dead knight.

She nodded and decided to help him up and walked over to the vault door. She used her key and open it with haste as she took some of the money and put it into a bag, while Aedan rushed to get his family's armor on.

When he finally got it on, and discarded the Howe sword and shield for his family's sword and shield, he stood ready to fight. He noticed his mother had piled a bag full of sovereigns.

"I don't think money will get us out of here!"

"No but when we get out of the castle we need something to care for us on the road!" She replied and put on the leather should pooch.

They meet up with their guards and found the great hall where their finest knight Ser Gilmore were executing the remnant of a couple of Howe soldiers. When he looked at them his eyes were wide in shock and relief "My lord! My lady! Thank the maker you are both alright" He looked behind them "Where is lord Fergus and his family? Are th-" "They are dead! Butched by Howes men!" Elanor interrupted with distaste when she said Howe.

Gilmore was shaken by the news "I, I see. I and my men were able to retake the hall, but we found his lordship stabbed bleeding to death. We got a couple of servants to get him to the larder and hoped they could patch him up near the secret escape tunnel their!" he said as he walked over to the barred door with his remaining men.  
"You are not coming with us!?" Aedan asked in disbelief.

"We cant all escape without them following us, someone have to stay and hold them while you escape" Said Gilmore as he pushed his body up against the door to the hall.  
"But!" Aedan were about to protest but his mother pulled him aside and said "As sad as it is, but it is true. We need to hurry and get to your father before he ugh!" She was interrupted by and arrow that had hit her in her lower left side of her torso. The archer stood in a newly open doorway, and Aedan wasted no time to rush the archer with his shield first. He bashed hard into the archer and quickly stabbed him through the eye.

Aedan quickly looked behind him to see his mother slowly limping towards her son, bleeding from her stomach. "Quickly. Take me to your father. Uh, maybe that archer have friends walking around"

They made their way towards the kitchen, with Elanor clinging to her son for support as she put pressure to her wound. They found two of the servants dead on the floor infront of the door to the larder. They both had arrows in them.

"Oh maker!" Aedan said as he open the door, only to find his father badly bandaged and still bleeding.

"My son is that you? Elanor!" Bryce said as he saw the state of his wife and son. Aedan gently laid his mother next to his father and knelt infront of them.

"Damn archer got me good" She shook of pain as she remove her hand from her wound. Bryce took her bloodied hand into his and looked into her eyes.

"I guess they got to Fergus and his son and wife too?" Bryce asked with dread in his voice. And he took his wife and remaining son's silence as yes.

Bryce gave his wound and his wife's wound a good look and then looked at his wife, who in turn looked at him and they both nodded. They then turn to Aedan. "Son. Your mother and I don't have much time left"

"NO! Mom dad. I am going to get both of you out of here. We are going to get a healer and inform the king!"

Elanor reached out to her son's hand, and he with haste took her hand in his. "My boy. I know its hard to accept. But we aint got much time left. We will only slow you down, and we will die before we are out of here. The best we can do is to stay here and hold them off, long enough for you to get out of here"

Aedan began to sob, as he bended his head down, trying not to shed any tears.

"My boy. Hear me. I got a job for you. Find your sister. Tell her of what happen. And make sure Howe does not benefit from this. Okay?" Said Bryce weakly. Aedan slowly looked up, with fresh tears in his eyes and said "Yes" in a low voice filled with sadness.

Bryce patted his son's hand "Thats my boy. Now go, you don't got much time left" He urged him as his wife got her bow out.

Aedan knelt forward and hugged both of his parents one final time. "I love you both so much"

"And we love you too my dear boy, and be sure to tell your sister we love her too" Said Elanor as they released their son from their hug and she gave him her leather pouch. "You need this"

He accepted it and went over to the hidden trap door at the far side of the room. Before he descended, he took a last look at his parents and they looked at him in return. "And please tell your sister that we are deeply proud of you both, and that we love you, with all of our hearts" Said Elanor.

Aedan nodded and said "Goodbye" As he slowly descended down to freedom.


End file.
